A Collaboration Between Scientists & Farmers is Needed to Take the Mission Ahead: Secretary (Finance)
Port Blair, Feb 27: A two-day event on floriculture business was organised by NABARD, Port Blair with the expertise of Dr. V Bhaskaran, Principal Scientist from CIARI in Port Blair on 25th and 26th Feb. 2023. The event commenced with a seminar on the 25th Feb 2023 on the topic “Potential and Scope of Commercial Floriculture and its export in Andaman & Nicobar Islands”. The seminar was graced by Shri C Arvind, Secretary Finance, A&N Administration as the chief guest.
Addressing the gathering of floriculturists and nursery owners, Shri Arvind shared his experience of working in the Islands as a Chartered Accountant and said, “Marketing is not an issue. The real issue is production”.
Explaining the setting up of milk plant by ANIIDCO in Andaman, Shri Arvind said that there was a scarcity of milk in the islands. It was during the period of Shri Vakkom Purushotaman, the former Lt. Governor of A&N Islands in the year 1992, the Administration had set-up the milk plant in consultation with Dr. Kurian of Amul. Today it is a great success and ANIIDCO is able to meet the ever rising demands of milk in the Islands.
He also explained that three decades ago, there were no departmental stores in the Islands except CCS Ltd. and a Super Shoppee that had come up. Today it’s a demonstrative effect that departmental stores have come up in every nook and corner of the Islands.
Dwelling on the scope of growing Orchids in the Islands, Shri Arvind said Heleconia is naturally grown here. It can be taken forward. He concluded his address by posing a question as to why should we import fruits and vegetables when they can be grown in the islands to meet the demands of the Islanders? The need is a collaboration between the Scientists and the Entrepreneurs to take this mission ahead, he added.
Among the others who addressed the Seminar were, Dr. Chanda Srivastav, Retd. Joint Director, Agriculture, Mrs Shirly Thomas, Agriculture Officer on Government Subsidies, Shri Bala Shiva Prasath, Director NHB on Export opportunities from the Islands, Shri Karthik Kumar, Founder & Chairman of Karthik & Co on Exporting flowers and plants from India to overseas, Dr. Ram Pal, Principal Scientist (Hort.), ICAR-NRV on Exploring commercial cultivation of orchids in the Islands, Professor Suhrita Chakrabarty on exploring different facets for value addition for income generation, Shri Karthikeyan Ramu, Director, Vitro Centre, India Laboratories on plant tissue culture in floriculture and export potential from A&N Islands and Dr. V Bhaskaran, Principal Scientist, CIARI on potential avenues in floriculture for the Islands’ farmers.
The seminar had begun with welcoming the participants by Smti Swati Ranadive, AGM, NABARD which was followed by an introductory address by Shri H Manoj, GM/ OIC, NABARD. After the presentation by the experts an open discussion was organised in which the queries and doubts of the participants were cleared by the experts. The seminar concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Shri R Mohan Gandhi, AM, NABARD.
Later in the evening NABARD organised a two-day ‘Andaman Pushp Mahotsav’, exhibition-cum-sale of nursery plants on Feb. 25 & 26, 2023 at the Marina Park, Port Blair to promote floriculture in the Islands. Around 10 nurseries participated in the Mahotsav and the initiative received tremendous response from the people. A rangoli and bouquet making competition was also organized on Feb.26, 2023, which received tremendous response from women participants.
Smt Nandini Paliwal, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Agriculture), A&N Administration was the chief guest on the occasion. She encouraged the nursery owners and participants of the competition, exhorting them to take up floriculture as an income generating activity.